Your staff are literally the face of your Company and are usually the first point of contact for your customers.  Much time and effort goes in to staff training, product knowledge, building the brand and researching the market but a first impression is made within 3 seconds of meeting a member of your staff . Are you putting enough time and consideration in to their appearance?

Employee attitude

Corporate clothing can make your employees feel proud and have an imposing effect on others. Customers will approach them more confidently. Make your workforce look more united and encourage them to share a feeling of belonging and equality.

Brand re-inforcement.

Choose colours to match the brand image and personalize garments with an embroidered logo on the left hand breast or front pocket. A logo on an upper pocket quickly gets attention, promotes brand awareness and gives your company a completely professional and polished image.

Free advertising.

It’s not just at work that the logo will get noticed. People are mobile so wherever your staff go they are a free advertisement for your company.

1. Categorising products
2. Available options within categories
3. Be open, honest and transparent.
4. Set a simplistic rule of thumb and demonstrate it.

 Pricing your products and services allows customers to estimate the perceived value of your product or service – that is whether they think the product or service is value for money. This is a key element in the purchase decision process.

If a customer does not know what a product or service is going to cost they are less likely to continue along the path to purchase. However fixed pricing is not always possible when the nature of the product is bespoke.

How do you encourage customers to enquire when no fixed costs can be provided?

Categorising products

 Due to the bespoke nature of the service provided by Sign Marketing, in the past we have found that our customers were often baffled by the myriad of signage options available.

Our approach was to be as informative as possible when looking at design and production options available, whilst being transparent with prices.

This part proved to be tricky as most signs are made-to-measure and no two are the same. By describing the different substrates through their characteristics and most common uses, we aimed to make the decision making process a bit simpler.

 Available options within categories

By providing price options for complete and part boards, including a full printed and laminated graphic, we hope that our customers know exactly what to expect when their bill arrives without any of the surprises sometimes found with other sign production companies.

Be open, honest and transparent.

We have broken down the design process of logo’s and brand creation to fit in with our aim of providing a transparent easy-to-digest process and pricing structure.

Set a simplistic rule of thumb and demonstrate it.

In all, we hope that our customers can draw design inspiration and product knowledge from the catalogue which in-turn makes our task of exceeding your expectations all the easier!

May sees the long-awaited release of the Sign Marketing and Embroidery UK catalogue.

Phone systems are one of the primary points of contact for new and existing customers. Customers may well look at your website first (so of course it is good to have a strong web presence) but often the next thing they’ll do is pick up the phone.

Small businesses can find it hard to man the phones all the time, so, a good on-hold system will stop people hanging up and keep them interested in the call. Keeping the customer interested by conveying current promotions, opening times, seasonal offers, new products/services available for example, will make them much more likely to stay on the line and make them aware of your products before they even speak to someone.

Not only can you use this opportunity to market your brand and products to a captive audience but audio used in this way can strengthen and communicate your brand, also helping to create brand awareness. What people hear when they call your company can have a significant impact on how they view your brand. Your phone system is essentially an extension of your brand and quite often your first impression on potential new clients.

Audio marketing productions give you an opportunity to show your personality and add this kind of value to your brand.

Helena – Audio Account Manager

In short VOIP stands for Voice Over IP and as far as this article is concerned, this relates to the delivery of voice communications over Internet Protocol (IP) such as the internet.

One of the reasons why so much noise has been made over this technology is the cost savings that it can make you.

For instance, let’s compare……………….

a)    A conventional telephone system with 25 users, each with a direct dial and the system is connected via ISDN.

With

b)    A VOIP based telephone system with 25 users, each with a direct dial and connected via a voice approved ADSL line.

It is highly possible that system b could reduce your monthly call costs by half, yes, that’s right 50%! On the face of it it seems to be a no brainer, coupled with all the additional features offered by a VOIP system such as remote workers being able to have a phone at home that works just as if they were in the office. Plus, where multiple sites are concerned, site to site calls can be free.

However, an ISDN system is very reliable and a VOIP system using a voice approved ADSL line has it’s Achilles heel right there. ADSL lines rarely come with any kind of SLA and their uptime is not as good as ISDN. That’s not to say it’s not an option as there is the possibility of running a backup ADSL line for when the primary fails. Additionally, new technologies such as EFM (Ethernet first mile) can provide a more reliable connection for a VOIP system and often come with an SLA, the cost is higher than ADSL but it may still save money as this technology is capable of serving both your voice and data requirements with one circuit.

To move from ISDN to VOIP most likely some investment will be required, you will probably need to replace your PBX (Phone system) and handsets. A cost saving analysis is worth doing at this point to see if VOIP is for you at this stage.

If you currently have no system and are just about to install your first, chances are that VOIP will be the way to go. The only choice left to make is whether you have an onsite PBX or a hosted system, but that’s a story for another day.

Pinterest only launched in 2010 but grew rapidly taking it’s 418 000 unique visitors in May 2011 to more than 11,716,000 users in January 2012! There are more than 1.36 million visitors every day, mainly women (around 68%). What’s more the average time spent on Pinterest is on more than 15 minutes (in comparison, it’s 12 minutes for Facebook) meaning users are taking in a lot more of what they see.

Once you’ve got a Pinterest account, you can create online collages (“boards”) for different topics you’re interested in, and then add images and videos to your boards by “pinning” them or “repining” content you find on other users boards. Users use the content of their boards (“pins”) to define themselves and in turn align themselves with brands (not always so obviously thanks to the high level of design.)

From a marketing perspective there are two goals

1) Create pins which are shared around the world; as content is repined by users you promote your business, product or service.
2) Drive traffic back toward your website/blog/etc.

You can sign up to Pinterest here – this might help you get the most out of the marketing tips below!

Your profile
1. Make sure you feature your business name on your profile for maximum exposure. Use your business name as your username, or change your profile name to your business name after your profile is set up.
2. Add a paragraph about who you are and what you’re interested in to the “About” section on your Pinterest profile. It will show up right under your photo, and will be one way that users can find out more about you.
3. Connect your account with your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Not only will it help you gain followers, but making this connection adds social media icons under your profile picture that link to your Facebook and Twitter profiles.
4. Don’t forget to add your website URL in your profile, too!
5. Create a board that tells the story of your company and communicates your core values. Make this board available to people as part of your sales process.

When you pin things..
6. Pin lots of stuff. Pin content steadily, instead of in huge bursts, to maximize your exposure and engagement.
7. Come up with creative and interesting board names. They get shared whenever you pin something, so make them enticing. But be creative — you need to keep your board names short. There isn’t a lot of room for long descriptive titles.
8. When you pin an image, add a description under it. Be smart about these descriptions — a good description will stay with an image as it gets repinned all over the Pinterest world. If the image is something from your own site, definitely use your business name in the description.
9. Get the Pinterest iPhone app, so you can repin on the go, pin from your camera and add a location to your pins so others can find your images.
10. Tag other Pinterest users in your pins by using “@username” in your descriptions. Network with other professionals and vendors in your field by using this feature. Not many people are doing this yet, so it’s a great way to build your following and stand out.
11. Pin from lots of different sources, instead of just from one or two sites. Variety is important on Pinterest.
12. Mix pinning your own unique finds with doing lots of “repinning,” which is repeating someone else’s pin to your followers (just like a Retweet on Twitter). The person whose image you repin gets notified via email, and they also get a credit on your pin, which increases their following.
13. Feel free to pin your own blog posts, but don’t over-promote. Follow the usual etiquette rules of any other social media site, and don’t be the boorish one at the party who only talks about himself.
14. Pin videos! Pinterest has a special section just for pinned videos, and there are far fewer videos than images on Pinterest at this point, so use them to distinguish yourself. Any YouTube video is easy to pin.
15. Add prices to your pins to create your own Pinterest shop. To add a price to a pin, type the $ or £ symbol followed by item’s price in the pin’s description. When you add prices to your pins, they may be featured in Pinterest’s “Gifts” section.
16. Watch for trends. Click on the “Popular” link on your Pinterest home page to research what’s catching on with pinners, then integrate those trends into your content strategy.
17. Be yourself. Pinterest is all about personal expression, so don’t be afraid to pin stuff that represents who you really are.
18. Show behind-the-scenes photos of your company. People love knowing how you make things!

Driving people to your pin profile
19. Comment on other people’s pins. Just like with tagging, this feature hasn’t really caught on yet, so use it regularly to really engage with other users. Obviously, use the same good manners and common sense you would when commenting on a blog or other social media site.
20. “Like” other people’s pins to give a thumbs-up when you want to recognize great content.
21. Become an information curator for your niche. Gather the newest and best resources on your boards. Become a trusted source of information on Pinterest, and your following will grow by leaps and bounds.

Getting people to make new pins from content on your website/blog/FB
22. Optimize your website content for Pinterest sharing (Part One): Use images in every single post you write, so your post can be shared on Pinterest. When you find yourself getting lazy about this, remember –- not using an image in your post means no one will pin it. And remember — the prettier the picture is, the more it will get pinned. The images that appeal to Pinterest members are powerful and emotive, so keep that in mind when choosing your pictures. That combination tends to work well for your blog readers, too.
23. Optimize your website content for Pinterest sharing (Part Two): Consider watermarking your images, or adding text to them. If you’re using your own images on Pinterest, one of the best ways to help your image stand out is by adding a clear description to the image itself, or adding a watermark with your business name. Make sure it’s clear, but that it doesn’t block out the main subject of the photo.
24. Add a prominent Follow Me on Pinterest button to your website to advertise that you’re a pinner!
25. Want to find out who’s been pinning your stuff? Go to:http://pinterest.com/source/yoursitehere. For an example, check out Copyblogger’s source page. Look at your site’s page often to discover which posts and images are resonating with Pinterest users. Use that information to shape your content strategy.

Happy pinning – Thomas

A full day of presentations and interactive sessions was rounded off by a dinner in the evening which included the presentation of the “Audibles” Awards which recognise creative and marketing excellence within the industry. Here at Sound Marketing we were delighted to receive the runners up award for Best On Hold Production.

Nicki
Managing Director

1. Finding the right exhibition - This should be dictated by your wider marketing plan and its objectives. Exhibiting at an event where more of your target audience are likely to be is far more effective than a general show. You can always ring up the event organisers to find out who the previous attendees have been.
2. Finding the right audience - You can pin point this down to the particular decision makers you wish to impress. Only by researching the relevant industries will you find the right exhibitions. TRY: Getting in touch with industry press and ask for advice on the trade shows they will be reporting on. This inside knowledge can be really useful and is often free with a bit of ego stroking.
3. Understand Your Goals - First and foremost exhibition goals should be raising awareness and networking within that industry. Many attendees will be interested in what you have to say and in the buying frame of mind but may not necessarily be ready to part with money on the day. Use the opportunity to talk with decision makers and other exhibitors with a view to building relationships and doing business in the future.
4. Generate Interest - You can tie in the fact that you are going to the exhibition with other marketing campaigns. Your attendance at the event is a good reason to get back in touch with customers and perspective customers to generate interest. You could try and secure editorial in industry press.
5. Communicating the message - Messages should be concentrated and easily understood. This will help with the visual design of your stand. Any important information like contact details and company logos should be above head height, easily visible from a distance and not obstructed by people standing in the way. Attendees need to ‘get you’ instantly.
6. Controlling cost - When investing in the items needed to dress your stand, be aware of future uses of the items. A more generic design that can be used for other events or serve other functions will see a greater return on the investment. Nobo stands and roll up banners are easily transported and are more multifunctional than bespoke display boards. Good pre show research will allow you to gage how many attendees you will need to cater for in terms of promotional items (goodie bags) reducing waste.
7. Logistics - Spend time to think about your use of space at your pitch and how easy it is to set up and pack down. Attention to the logistics will relive on-the-day pressures making the experience a whole lot more enjoyable. This will allow you to focus on the job in hand.

More information on successful exhibitions can be found on our website www.signmarketing.co.uk or alternatively call our design and marketing teams for a chat.

Thomas

Marketing Coordinator for the Soundm Group

Mental availability is a marketing term used to describe how easily recalled your brand is when a customer first starts the purchase decision process.

We use the marketing mix (the 4 P’s) to increase the potency of our brand messages making them easier to recall.

Having said this relevance, availability and immediacy are all massive factors in the purchase decision process.

Effective advertising is that which places your brand as close to the moment the decision is being made. This poster for Strada Italian Restaurant hangs above the exit of a train station in Putney. Strada have worked out that people leaving train stations are at the end of a journey and often find themselves thinking of what to have for dinner. This poster is well placed because it puts the Strada brand in the mind of the consumer when they are most likely to be thinking about food – it also has a direct call to action instructing customers of exactly where to go!

ACTION: Try thinking of exactly when and where your customers go through the purchase decision process and make sure you get your brand as close to it as possible.

Enjoy

Thomas

(Marketing Coordinator for the soundm group)

The opening page of the book reads as follows: “Outdoor Publicity Limited are pleased to present this volume to The Coca-Cola Export Corporation to record the lighting of the Piccadilly Sign in London on July 1st, 1954″. Then the design credits are: ”Designed by the Advertising Department of The Coca-Cola Company, in Atlanta, U.S.A., and constructed by Claude-General Neon Lights Ltd in their factory at Wembley, Middlesex”.

Here are a few scans taken from the photographs in the original book. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s some pretty amazing stuff.

Enjoy

Thomas – With thanks to creative review

Hello, Let’s face it being stuck inside the office on a sweltering day when the sun is shining bright outside is nobody’s ideal afternoon. So in the search for a task of a more natural persuasion I came across a box of hot- off- the- press leaflets. Bingo! So off I went round the local community in the sunshine hand delivering our leaflets to a variety of both familiar and new faces. Leaflet distribution is not only a welcome change of scenery and activity on a hot day but is also fun and commercially beneficial. Just to highlight, here are a list of a few of the advantages leaflet distribution affords:

• Opportunity to discuss services with Local companies directly.
• Puts a face to the name of your business…and hopefully a smile.
• Breaks down barriers in the local community.
• Accurate and specific.
• Shows a desire to embrace and actively become a part of the local community
• Has a greater chance of being looked at than a generic email.

In a world that is becoming increasingly digital it shows a desire to still remain in touch with what is real and physical, overall it is a personal touch that stops people from feeling like drones and instead helps them to understand that there are businesses that actually care about showing a physical presence and want to listen to their customers. So next time you’re sat at the computer on a hot, sunny day maybe you should consider the benefits a little walk around the local community with some leaflets could have for your business.

Kim Goddard